According to WX4NHC Associate Coordinator Julio Ripoll, WD4R, WX4NHC -- the Amateur Radio station at the National Hurricane Center (NHC) in Miami, Florida -- along with the VoIP Hurricane Net -- will activate on Friday, August 24 in advance of Tropical Storm Isaac. The Hurricane Watch Net (HWN) stated on its website that it will activate on 14.325 MHz at 3 PM (1900 UTC) on Thursday, August 23 “for the purpose of helping those in the affected area who need information on this storm as well as helping those requiring assistance.”

In an e-mail to hams in Haiti, Ripoll wrote that “as Isaac approaches Haiti, out thoughts and prayers are with you and the people of Haiti to weather the storm with minimal damage and loss of life. Please spread the word throughout Haiti and the Dominican Republic that the station at NHC, the HWN and the VoIP Hurricane Net will be at your service to provide any advisories you may need and to receive your reports from Haiti.WX4NHC will be activated Friday and will remain on-the-air throughout landfall.”

WX4NHC is monitoring the Hurricane Watch Net on 14.325 MHz. Secondary HF frequencies will be 7.268 MHz and 3.950 MHz +/- QRM, should propagation be lost on 20 meters. EchoLink “WX-Talk” Conference Room and IRLP node 9219 is also being monitored. WX4NHC is also monitoring CWOP, APRS and MADIS/MESONET automated weather stations in the affected area. Surface reports using WX4NHC’s Online Hurricane Report form are also being monitored.

The following emergency nets are active in preparation for tropical storm Isaac. Amateurs are asked to keep clear of active emergency nets so important traffic can be effectively handled.

“We request all land based stations, as well as ships at sea in the areas affected, to send us weather data (measured or estimated) and damage reports,” Ripoll said. “If you are in the affected area and normally monitor on a local net on VHF, 40 or 80 meters, we would appreciate your checking into the HWN NET or EchoLink/IRLP Net once per hour to receive the latest hurricane advisories and to report your local conditions.”

As of 11 AM (EDT) on August 23, Tropical Storm Isaac is about 200 miles south-southeast of San Juan, Puerto Rico and about 360 miles east-southeast of Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. The storm is continuing to move westward to the south of the VirginIslands and Puerto Rico at about 15 miles per hour, with maximum sustained winds at 40 miles per hour.

NHC forecasters are predicting that Isaac will turn toward the west-northwest on Thursday afternoon and continue on a west-northwesterly track through Saturday. The storm’s center should pass through Puerto Rico on Thursday (August 23) and be near the southern coast of the Dominican Republic and Haiti the next day. Isaac should strengthen in the next 48 hours and could become a hurricane as it nears the Dominican Republic and Haiti.

A hurricane warning is in effect for Haiti and the southern coast of the Dominican Republic from Isla Saona westward to the Haiti/Dominican Republic southern border

A tropical storm warning is in effect for Puerto Rico (including the islands of Vieques and Culebra), the US Virgin Islands and the British Virgin Islands. The warning also includes the north coast of the Dominican Republic from the Haiti/Dominican Republic northern border eastward to north of Isla Saona.

A tropical storm watch is in effect for the Turks and Caicos Island, and the Southeastern Bahamas, including the Acklins, Crooked Island, Long Cay, the Inaguas, Mayaguana and the Ragged Islands.